1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an indicator for a liquid container, and more particularly, to a temperature and liquid level indicator for an insulated bottle or vacuum bottle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Liquid containers are popular for carrying a user's favorite beverage. It is known to provide an insulated bottle or vacuum bottle for maintaining the temperature of a beverage close to an initially hot or cold temperature. It is also known to provide an indicating mechanism to indicate various conditions of the liquid within a bottle, i.e., sensing the temperature of a liquid within the container or indicating the liquid level remaining in the bottle. However, no compact inexpensive container is known for providing plural functions, such as sensing a temperature and determining the level of a liquid within a bottle.
Corsi et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 2,090,749 discloses a nursing bottle including a mechanism indicating the amount of milk or other substance contained in the bottle. A slot may be cut in a casing so the contents of the bottle may be viewed through the slot. Indices may be imprinted along the slot to indicate the contents in the bottle. The scale may indicate fluid ounces.
Bramming in U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,441 discloses a vacuum insulated bottle utilizing a wide opening vacuum filler. Rehban in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,060 discloses an infant's feeding bottle including an indicating device such as a thermometer or graduated scale that is detachably carried on the wall of the bottle.
Luk in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,971 discloses a liquid crystal temperature indicator for measuring human body temperature. The temperature indicator may be a cholesteric liquid crystal deposit with a coating to protect the deposit from attack by moisture or humidity.
Campbell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,195 discloses a drinking mug having a heat maintenance chamber that may contain a heating or cooling liquid. The selection of a heating or cooling liquid is based on the particular beverage to be consumed. Blomquist in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,083 discloses a float activated gauge for indicating the level of liquid in a tank. The float may be configured as a plastic ball.
Dransfield in U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,325 discloses a baby bottle having a generally toroidal hollow chamber. One or more liquid crystal temperature sensing dots may be molded into the side of the bottle to sense overheated contents within the bottle.
Yata et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,581 discloses a nursing bottle having a detachable case including a thermosensor for measuring the temperature of a liquid within the bottle.
del Pilaf Pla Rodriguez et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,284 discloses a thermally insulated baby bottle for maintaining the liquid contents at an initial hot or cold temperature for extended periods of time. A window is provided in a wall of the baby bottle and associated with a graduated scale for determining the amount of liquid remaining in the bottle.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.